- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
- 10 MP
- 3.8x f/2.0
- 1/1.6" CCD
- 3" LCD
Released July, 2010
Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)Another addition is a dedicated button on the top panel to begin video recording.
Conclusion Check out the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
10 MP
1/1.6"
Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Sep, 2010)The normal bugbear of exterior location shoots is also dealt with thanks to a wind cut option among the four screen's worth of menu settings in motion picture mode.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 20 MP    | 20 MP |
Lumix DMC-LX5 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)File size 4.4MB The level of detail is outstanding, even though the 90mm-equivalent focal length doesn't zoom in quite as far as most other compacts.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by T.-Allen (Dec, 2011)If you are a novice wanting top of the line equipment, don't be sucked in by higher megapixels of other digitals.
sensor size
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Jaganath (Dec, 2011)Pictures are awesome and almost up there with quality with micro four thirds.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Matt-Yu (Dec, 2011)I have a Nikon D700, which is a full frame digital SLR, so I can't expect too much on this little DC.
wide angle lens
Lumix DMC-LX5 by James-P.-Garin (Feb, 2011)The LX-5 is between the S and G in size, but it is a very different camera.24mm wide angle....longer zoom range than the S series.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Kebs (Jun, 2011)Wide-angle is fantastic - After using Tamron 28-75 for so many years, I have found a whole new dimension in wide-angle photo-framing using LX5.
aperture size
Lumix DMC-LX5 by John-CosenzaRather than posting more images showing how sharp the lens is (and it is a beautiful, fast lens), I'm intentionally uploading photos taken in low light-ISO up to 1600, handheld as slow as 1/4 second-with wedding photography, it's not just about razor sharpness (at least it wasn't with this couple-they loved the pictures).
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Traveler14649 (Dec, 2011)The good: Fantastic photo quality and a lot of control over the exposure - you can control by aperture, shutter speed, increase or decrease the exposure,etc..
zoom range
| 0x | 5x   | 5x |
Lumix DMC-LX5 by S.-Duford (Jan, 2011)I love the 24mm f/2.8 Leica lens, the image stabilization, the RAW capability, the full manual control, and the multiple-screen formats.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by David-J.-Peebler--DJPeebz (Nov, 2010)As a Canon user, I immediately found the LX5 controls to be fully intuitive, although I must admit I'm still learning ALL of the menu controls as I crave manual control and creative flexibility!
body size
110 x 66 x 43 mm
127 x 75 x 54 mm
99 x 60 x 28 mm
Lumix DMC-LX5 by J.-Wang (Oct, 2010)These pro-compact cameras have the best overall design that offers the widest range of application, versatility, and user-friendliness.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by L.-Debiasi (Dec, 2011)It's too thick to fit into a pocket, but with the neck strap, it's still very easy to carry around.
Performance Real world tests of Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
shutter lag
battery life
400 photos
200 photos
200 photos
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Soured-Customer--Soured-Customer (Dec, 2010)It's much much faster (what's the point of having a camera if you miss the shot because the camera doesn't react in time), the low light ability is far superior, the macro is wonderful, it can zoom while recording video, and the battery life is excellent.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by I.-Pribadi (Oct, 2010)My bottom line advice is your personal priorities will determine which camera fits you best but please still consider the whole package: size, weight, ergonomics, menu system, AF lag times, RAW write times, battery life, possible accessories, etc..
max continuous shooting
Lumix DMC-LX5 by rd-in-sf (Sep, 2010)On the LX-5, I can only shoot 3 shots on a burst and then I have to wait until it finishes before I shoot again.
DxOMark low light performance
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Defiant10k (Jun, 2011)Applying a small amount of Noise Reduction in Lightroom brings the quality of low light pictures up quite easily.
Lumix DMC-LX5 by Cam (Apr, 2012)Pictures are crisp, it takes good photos in low light and has plenty of manual settings.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
HD video -
Generic -
24 mm -
89.43% -
400 -
10 mm -
1/4000 s
cons
-
41.0 -
1/1.6" -
HD video -
460 k dots -
Jul, 2010 -
7.2 s -
19.6 bits -
10.8 ev -
2,300 ms -
10 MP -
The screen is fixed in place -
No automatic HDR -
132 ISO -
No automatic stitching -
Won't have that film look
Reviews Word on the street
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|---|---|
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 | Rated by 378 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Charles-J.-Hampton-snow (Dec, 2010) Rated 100% by by D.-Eilenberger (Jan, 2011) Rated 100% by by Brian (Feb, 2012) |
Lens
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Anthony-Ruggeri--hard-to-pin-down (Nov, 2010)4/3. I didn't because zoom lenses are still big, even the Olympus collapsible kit zoom, and I definitely wanted a zoom lens.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 80% by by Joe (Oct, 2011)What's odd is that Panasonic offers a wide angle conversion lens to an already excellent wide angle capability but does not offer a conversion zoom lens which the camera would benefit more from.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Photo-guy (Sep, 2010)f/3.3!. - Wide-angle - 24mm (35mm equivalent) is awesome, the Canon S90 only goes to 28mm and most P. &S no wider than 35mm.
Image quality
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 80% by by Scott-Fisher (Dec, 2011)The main thing to love about the camera is the image quality for the fairly small size.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 80% by by Shaer (Sep, 2010)Colors are beautiful and there are so many modes for colors(If I can call them so)...Propably that is a reason why some people are not 100% satisfied with the pic quality...An example if you choose VIVD mode for indoor pictures...Most pictures will come out dark so you will not like them...And the camera will remember the color mode and it's easily to foreget to adjust it at the beginning...Keep that in mind.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Nicole-Yates (Mar, 2011)The images are clear, crisp, and the color quality is outstanding.
Sensor
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Sincerely-YoursHow did we find the RAW functionality: great for this very protable camera this size and the output was pretty awesome.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 80% by by danei (Dec, 2011)The noise is acceptable when using ISO 100 and 80, but in ISO 200 and above noise is very obvious even viewed in PC screen, shrink to fit view.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Carl-Deutsch (Sep, 2010)I must admit I'm picky on quality of the image, high ISO capability, and having some control over camera setting.
Video
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Susan-Zeman-West--book-lover (Oct, 2010)I had trouble adjusting to the video/movie aspect although I loved the ability to zoom while doing a video.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by ijcastThe MPEG2 videos look just as sharp and vibrant as the AVCHD videos they originated from.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by S.-Duford (Jan, 2011)It also shoots surprisingly good HD video!
Photography
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Richard-DeMuth (Nov, 2010)This is just the perfect camera for the person who is looking for quality in his/her prints.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Sep, 2010)The creative movie mode is where technologies converge and the LX5 becomes an intriguing prospect for would-be videographers, providing access as it does to the same creative exposure P,A,S,M modes selectable when shooting stills.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 | Rated 100% by by Anthony-Ruggeri--hard-to-pin-down (Nov, 2010)I'm mainly shooting landscapes and static subjects, so the range is perfect.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 Highest resolution screen Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 |
 | 2 | Fujifilm FinePix X100 Largest sensor Fujifilm FinePix X100 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 |
 | 3 | Canon Powershot S100 OK delay taking photos Canon Powershot S100 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 |
 | 5 | Canon PowerShot G12 Has a flip out screen Canon PowerShot G12 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 |
 | 6 | Canon PowerShot G15 OK viewfinder coverage Canon PowerShot G15 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 |
 | 7 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 Fastest lens DMC-LX7 vs DMC-LX5 |
 | 8 | Samsung NX1000 Fastest to start up Samsung NX1000 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
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